


Must Be Magic

by guineamania



Series: Birdbrain [16]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Cannot Lie, Clint does not care about national security, F/M, Fluff, Harry does not lie, Hurt/Comfort, Just bends the truth, M/M, Magic What Magic, Mother Hen Molly, Nightmares, Past Child Abuse, Snapshots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-20
Updated: 2019-11-20
Packaged: 2021-02-16 04:54:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21502201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/guineamania/pseuds/guineamania
Summary: Clint knew that something didn't add up with Harry. And, to be honest, he didn't care. But all the way through their life together Clint felt like he was piecing the jigsaw together but without knowing what picture he was making.AKA - 5 times Clint uncovered some of the mystery and 1 time Harry said screw it to the statute of secrecy
Relationships: Clint Barton/Harry Potter, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Series: Birdbrain [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1030541
Comments: 33
Kudos: 538
Collections: Harry Potter Fanfic Must Reads, Marvel Fanfic Must Reads





	Must Be Magic

**Author's Note:**

> So (and I quote from two weeks ago) 'it should be done by the weekend' was a massive lie! 
> 
> I was a bit cut up after not getting through to the second round of an interview I travelled the length of the UK to get to and cost me over £200 because I was 'not loud enough'. And so didn't feel like writing the whole of last week and spent the whole time doing other job applications and worrying about how long I have until the money runs out and I'll have to try and get a bar job …
> 
> Anywho, hope you enjoy and let me know what you think and want to see next!

Clint was not stupid. Okay, maybe he wasn’t the most academically gifted but Clint could read people. It was one of the reasons why SHIELD wore him down until he signed on as an agent. After the disaster of his last mission, Clint was released from hospital to his awful apartment and laid in bed contemplating his life. He met Harry again that night and had never fallen head over heels for a person that quick before in his life. SHIELD wasn’t that bad and it would allow him to build a life in New York, completely coincidentally close to a certain emergency room doctor, and do what he does best. But back to the original topic, Clint could read people and Harry James Potter was a mystery. Everything he said added up but there were little subjects he danced around.

1

It was the year 2003, Harry was twenty and was somehow a celebrated doctor. I would take at least four years in a position to gain that much notoriety and Harry could only have qualified at the earliest at 19. It was odd but Harry just laughed, said how talented he was and changed the subject. Clint wasn’t fooled. Harry’s apartment complex was out of Clint’s dreams. It was in an apartment building in Soho with a doorman, enough said. “Harry,” Clint shouted, knocking on the door. When Clint had dropped by the hospital, the nurse had said Harry had called in sick from his work at the hospital and the mysterious clinic had often worked it. He also wasn’t replying to Clint’s texts and the archer was worried. Clint heard a women’s voice and Harry swear at Clint’s arrival. They had been officially dating for two months now but that didn’t stop Clint’s heart fluttering at the sound of someone else in there with the known recluse. Harry pulled open the door, panting and his green eyes looking dazed and unsure.

“Hey, Clint. Not a great time,” the door was open just enough to see Harry’s form but no further. But what Clint did see caused him to grip the door open. Harry’s shirt was covered in dried blood.

“I can see, I’m not going though,” Clint pushed the door open further. If Harry had got himself in some trouble Clint could help him. All thoughts of Harry potentially cheating were gone. A platinum blonde was sat on Harry’s sofa with a heavily bandaged owl on her lap. The blood was the owl’s. A huge weight lifted from Clint’s chest. Then he tried to process the fact this woman had a very well domesticated owl.

“Um, yeah, okay. Luna meet Clint. Clint this is Luna, she’s a friend from school who was in the area for work when dear little Hera got herself into a fight,” Harry let Clint in and tickled the owl under the chin. Hera preened and lent into the contact like a cat.

“And this is Clint, he’s just as pretty as you told me,” Luna’s singsong soft voice matched her appearance and Harry blushed at her words.

“It’s nice to meet you. Harry didn’t mention he had an old friend in town,” Clint smiled, sidling to were Harry was leaning awkwardly on the breakfast bar.

“Oh I didn’t tell him. I am in America conducting a study into a very rare wild horse herd with trusty Hera and wanted to team up with the one and only Harry Potter. He brings a perspective that few others do and I wanted to see how he was adapting to the new climate,” Luna beamed, tucking her hair behind her ears as Hera napped on her lap.

Luna went to tuck Hera into bed as apparently the owl said she needed a more comfortable resting place if they were going to be able to journey on tomorrow to Colorado for the horse hunt. “So Luna, she’s,” Clint tried to find the best way to express his mild concern.

“Different, is the way I tend to put it,” Harry smiled, his sleeves were pulled down over his hands and Harry was worrying the fabric incessantly. “I went to boarding school, and didn’t have many consistent friends. People were constantly changing how they felt about me but Luna was one of the few who always had my back and knew what to say. She’s startlingly wise when you get to know her,” Harry smiled softly but his figure was still so tense. He was hiding something.

“I’m glad you had someone Har,” Clint pecked Harry’s cheek and felt some of the tension fade.

“I’m going with her,” Harry sighed, “our school had one of these herds and I had some sort of affinity with the creatures. It’ll be nice to have some Luna time, it’s been years.”

“Have you seen her since school?” Clint asked, and the tension returned.

“I didn’t graduate, left school at sixteen and joined the army,” now that was something Clint hadn’t seen coming and he voiced that opinion. “Fought for over a year before deciding my calling was saving lives not taking them. Trained as a battlefield medic, needed a change and here I am,” Harry shrugged and Clint was prevented from asking anymore questions by Luna’s reappearance.

“I sung her favourite lullaby and she’s sleeping peacefully. We can go tomorrow if you are still in Potter?” Luna grinned and Harry rolled his eyes.

“Of course Lovegood. Who am I to say no to an adventure?” Luna laughed far to hard for that not to be an inside joke.

“But tonight Hera will be fine and we need to go explore the big apple. I saw some interesting phenomenon on the way here I would love to study. Is it true there are mole like people who live under the ground,” Luna was already shrugging on her coat and Clint had so many questions. Before he could say anything, Harry gripped his wrist and wordlessly told him there was no point in trying to debate with Luna.

“I have not seen any but I do say I have not been exploring as much as I should.”

“Just because you have not seen, does not mean you should not believe.”

2

“Hey hun!” Harry shouted, letting himself in to Clint’s shady apartment with pizza boxes piled in his arms. He received a murmur in reply as Clint spoke around the pen in his mouth. Phil had him researching an opera singer who was touring around the world and may possibly be a very talented assassin. He was supposed to get in, tail her and see if she was the one committing the high profile killings. He just had to get in. “How’s work?” Harry questioned, kissing Clint on the neck as he lowered the teetering tower of boxes on to the table. Clint had been allowed to tell Harry he worked for the government but not in what capacity and the doctor had wisely not dug for anything deeper.

“Never thought I would aggressively be trying to get a ticket to a sold out opera but here we are,” Clint dropped the pen onto his lap and flopped back with a groan.

“Which opera?” Harry asked between mouthfuls of pizza as he shrugged off his red hoodie. Clint just waved at the screen and Harry grinned. “I can get you in, two tickets?” Harry asked, holding the crust of the pizza between his teeth to get out his phone and snap a picture. Clint felt his jaw drop as Harry strode off.

“How?” Clint carefully put the government issue laptop on the table before leaping to his feet and facing Harry.

“Ever wondered how I could afford my apartment? My car?” Harry asked and Clint could honestly reply that he had never thought about that. “In England my family comes from old money, and my godfather died with no heirs and so I inherited his fortune too. It’s why I always demand that I pay when we go out and bring groceries etcetera. I don’t have to worry about money and there’s some little perks that come with being part of the upper echelons of British society. I know people,” Harry smiled and pulled out his phone.

Harry came through and he had two tickets to the opera. He loathed to bring Harry with him but he couldn’t take the tickets without having to explain where Harry was to the people he got the tickets from. He also kind of needed Harry’s expertise of mingling with these types of people. Clint didn’t even have a suit. Harry had a tailor. “Lord Black,” the pair had only just handed over their tickets and someone spotted Harry. The diminutive Brit had warned Clint that his official name in his community was Lord Harry James Potter-Black when he took inheritance from his godfather Sirius Black; to detach from his private life he went by Lord Black in high social scenarios. “Lady Winter, lovely to see you here,” Harry chimed and kissed each cheek. “This is my partner for the evening Clint Barton. Emma here was the godsend who got us our tickets so late,” Harry introduced them both and Clint mindlessly replied with pleasantries. He needed to find away back stage to scout out the singers.

“Lovely, lovely, we have a little time and my assistant Natalya mentioned you wanted to see backstage?” Emma waved to a short woman with curled auburn hair with a clipboard. “Natalya, meet dear Harry and Mr Barton. Natalya has been touring with the company to help out. If you need anything let her know,” Natalya approached the group and something about her looked strangely familiar. Clint shook her hand and felt like he was missing something major.

3

It had never occurred to Clint to use his SHIELD powers to do research on Harry. But the pair had been dating for a year and a half now and were house hunting using Harry’s seemingly unlimited wealth. That meant Fury had taken it upon himself to investigate his specialist agent’s partner. Clint knew it would be coming soon but he didn’t expect the results. “Nothing?” Clint leant forwards over the table to grab the file in front of Maria as she and Fury loomed over him.

“Nothing since he turned fifteen. At age eleven a Harry James Potter went to school in Scotland but it is not listed which school this was and returned to his guardian’s house every summer. After fifteen he stopped returning home and there are no records of him anywhere until he relocated to the states two and a half years ago and was brought on as a trauma surgeon at Mount Sinai despite having no formally recognised medical training. What has he told you about his past Barton?” Fury asked as Clint read.

“Nothing, he’s from the UK. Went to school in Scotland and has old money,” Clint shrugged, there was no way he was selling out Harry to SHIELD. Something wasn’t right here but it was none of his employers’ business. He carefully had only mentioned things about Harry that they already knew.

“Yes, the Potter and Black fortunes,” Maria mused but it was clear she was not convinced.

“We want you to be careful and make sure not to engage Mr Potter in any more SHIELD activities until more can be discovered about his intentions,” Fury insisted and for once Clint actually agreed with him.

“I don’t want Harry involved. He was an in at the opera and he doesn’t know what came of the mission,” Clint glared at the mysterious spy. He did not like Harry being on SHIELD’s radar but, he couldn’t deny it, something didn’t add up about Harry’s past. Clint himself was fine with that, he wasn’t telling Harry everything but something inside him wanted to know. How does someone hide themselves that well for years as a teenager?

4

“Breathe babe,” Clint gripped Harry’s arms as Harry’s legs went weak. Clint lowered Harry down to sit with his back resting against the bath. It was a nightmare. Clint and Harry had held each other through nightmares before but none like this. Harry was a naturally a clingy person and was always hanging onto touch and hugs. Clint had the suspicious that the childhood Harry avoided explaining was not a happy one. Clint had managed Harry’s nightmares through touch and reassuring Harry he had someone there. However tonight Harry flinched away, rocketed out of bed and shot into the bathroom. As Harry sobbed he furiously rubbed at his right hand. “It was just a nightmare Harry. You are in our apartment. It’s just me and you, I want you to tell me what you need and to do that you need to breathe,” Clint had thankfully put in his hearing aid before going after Harry and used the moment to adjust it and tune out the background buzzing. Harry’s sobs quietened but he continued to massage his hand. “We can stay here as long as you want hun,” Clint continued to reassure his boyfriend.

“I, I thought I was over it,” Harry whispered and rested his head against Clint’s shoulder. “School wasn’t great. I told you that before. But I spent most of my life feeling inadequate and like adults wanted me to fight their wars but with no information. I was isolated,” Harry regained some sense of composure and wiped away his tears. The back of his right hand was inflamed from the rubbing and Clint noticed a old scar and couldn’t help but stare at it. He had never noticed it before but it looked like words. Harry noticed the staring and returned to massaging it. And thinking. “Being an old private boarding school the lack of oversight was abysmal. I knew something was wrong and the faculty disagreed,” Harry slowly offered his hand to Clint. He saw red. An inflamed scar, clearly irritated by Harry’s ministrations, read ‘I must not tell lies’. This wasn’t school discipline, this was torture. But Clint could not react the way he wanted to; later he could head to the gym and work it out on a punching bag but now he needed to be there for his partner. “The headmistress for a year had strange ways of discipline. I don’t lie Clint, I don’t lie, I can’t keep doing this I have something to tell you,” Harry then returned to hyperventilating but this time leant into Clint’s embrace.

“Hey, hey it’s alright. I know you don’t lie and we can talk in the morning, once you are feeling better,” Clint kissed Harry’s curls and tucked the shorter man against his chest. They stayed there for a while until Harry fell asleep. Clint finally had time to think. Harry wanted to come clean about something pretty major. Could Clint tell him his secrets too? And how had Clint not seen the scar before?

Harry did not explain further in the morning. Clint did not push it.

5

“Harry darling!” Clint was stepping out of the shower when someone banged on the door and Harry opened it.

“Molly? What?” Harry exclaimed and a chorus of footsteps entered the apartment. So not only this Molly then.

“We were in the neighbourhood for Arthur’s work and Luna let us know where you were staying now,” Molly continued and Clint hurried to get dressed and rescue his boyfriend.

“Hermione, Ron, good to see you,” Harry’s voice took on a lighter tone and Clint finally felt composed enough to leave their bedroom.

“Hi,” he spoke up with a cough to break the tension and three heads whipped round the take him in.

“Clint?” the young bushy haired woman asked with a tilt of her head. Clint recognised the name Hermione from Harry’s phone calls and assumed this must be her.

“Hi yes, Hermione right?” he smiled and shook her hand.

“Harry, introduce this nice man,” Molly demanded, with the politeness of a mother, and Harry blushed furiously.

“Molly, Ron, Hermione. This is my boyfriend Clint. Clint this is Molly Weasley who is like a mother to me, and Ron and Hermione my best friends,” Harry introduced quickly and rushed after Molly who was emptying her bag in the kitchen. So many home-cooked meals in little containers which Harry was loading into the fridge and freezer, still blushing with embarrassment.

“Very nice to meet all of you. How about we head out and get coffee and meet Arthur?” Clint paused until Harry nodded, “out in the city. I can give you a tour if you’ve never been before?”

“That would be wonderful dear! I think Arthur said he wouldn’t be long,” Molly beamed and Clint felt the warmth spread through him at her affections.

“Come on mum, I’m sure Harry can deal with all that food,” Ron backed up Harry as the Brit tried to take over packing away the food. Clearly, avoiding taking it all was not on the cards.

Molly, Ron and Hermione waited out in the hall and Harry and Clint got ready to go. “I’m so sorry they just turned up,” Harry apologised at a whisper while they put coats on.

“It’s fine hun. I love meeting people who are important to you. Luna was a delight,” Clint smiled, tossing Harry a red beanie from where it was laid on the table. Harry grabbed it effortless and gave a lacklustre smile back. “How did she manage to bring all that food?” Clint jibed softly and Harry’s smile began more genuine.

“Dunno, must be magic.”

+1

Harry loved his ring. What he didn’t love was the fact that Clint proposed first. He had a whole celebration planned and his fiancé just had to go and do the adorable thing of proposing at Christmas to replace all the bad memories with good ones. Idiot. But Harry could not stop staring at the engagement ring. “We’re getting married,” Clint whispered and grinned at his fiancé tucked under his arm.

“We’re getting …” Harry grinned back but paused as he thought deeper. They were engaged now, which meant Harry didn’t need to hide. He could tell the most important person in his life all about him. “I don’t want to ruin this moment and I hope what I have to say doesn’t change anything but I have not been telling you everything,” Harry confessed with a nervous smile and saw a concerned frown spread across Clint’s expression.

“You can tell me anything Harry. It won’t change anything between us,” Clint took Harry’s hand and brushed his fingers over the knuckles as they pointedly avoided eye contact.

“I am a wizard, I can do magic,” Harry blurted out, pulling the band-aid off quickly and hoping for the best. Clint could reject him now, he was ready but he couldn’t hide it from someone that close to him anymore.

“A wizard?” Clint questioned. Harry nodded. “Magic? Real magic? Are you an alien or something babe?” Harry’s head snapped back up to look at Clint.

“No, why would you think alien?” Harry was the confused one now. Clint laughed nervously and then sighed.

“I have something to tell you too.”


End file.
